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Home My WebLink AboutOTHER-2025-023-Letters of Support for OWASA 015 - 69S ) u111as^ JAMEZETTA BEDFORD, CHAIR Orange County Board of Commissioners JEAN HAM/LTON, VICE-CHAIR MAR/LYN CARTER Post Office Box 8181 ()0( AALLYGR ER300 West Tryon StreetSALLYGREENS EARL MCKEEHillsborough , North Carolina 27278 PHYLL/S PORT/EASCOTT April 1 , 2025 The Honorable Valerie P . Foushee 2452 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC , 20515 - 3304 Dear Congresswoman Foushee , On behalf of Orange County , I am writing to request your support in securing federal appropriations to fund a critical water infrastructure project in our community . Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) is seeking $ 1 . 522 million in federal assistance to address a pressing environmental and public health issue : elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS ) in our drinking water. Our community is facing significant challenges as PFAS contamination has been detected in one of OWASA ' s primary drinking water sources : the Cane Creek Reservoir . Current treatment technologies at OWASA ' s Water Treatment Plant do not effectively remove these harmful chemicals . With new federal regulations set to take effect in 2029 , we must act now to ensure compliance and, more importantly , safeguard the health of our residents . PFAS contamination is linked to a variety of serious health concerns , and addressing it is critical to ensuring the long-term safety and quality of our drinking water . The requested funding will help offset the costs of designing a new PFAS removal facility at the Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant, getting OWASA one step closer to sustainably reducing PFAS levels in Chapel Hill and Carrboro ' s drinking water . The long- term benefits of this project will protect public health and provide reliable , safe drinking water for current and future generations . Without federal support, OWASA faces the difficult reality of raising water rates significantly to cover the costs of the project . These rate increases would disproportionately affect low- income residents who are already struggling with economic hardships . Federal funding would help offset these necessary increases , ensuring that our community can continue to thrive without undue financial burden . www. orangecountync. qoy Orange County, North Carolina (919) 245-2130 We greatly appreciate your consideration of this important request and would be grateful for any assistance you can provide in securing the necessary funding . Thank you for your attention to this critical issue and for your continued support of our community . Sincerely , I A r P Jamezetta Bedford, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners www. orangecountVnc. gov Orange County, North Carolina (919) 245-2130 ®iA� �C f JAMEZETTA BEDFORD, CHAIR Orange County Board of Commissioners JEAN HAM/LTON, VICE-CHAIR MARILYN CARTER Post Office Box 8181 A ER SAALLY 300 West Tryon StreetEAR _ LLYGR GREENS HYL PLLIORSPORMcKE T/EASCOTT Hillsborough , North Carolina 27278 th HY April 1 , 2025 The Honorable Thom Tillis 113 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D . C . 20510 Dear Senator Tillis , On behalf of Orange County, I am writing to request your support in securing federal appropriations to fund a critical water infrastructure project in our community . Orange Water and Sewer Authority ( OWASA) is seeking $ 1 . 522 million in federal assistance to address a pressing environmental and public health issue : elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS ) in our drinking water . Our community is facing significant challenges as PFAS contamination has been detected in one of OWASA ' s primary drinking water sources : the Cane Creels Reservoir . Current treatment technologies at OWASA ' s Water Treatment Plant do not effectively remove these harmful chemicals . With new federal regulations set to take effect in 2029 , we must act now to ensure compliance and, more importantly , safeguard the health of our residents . PFAS contamination is linked to a variety of serious health concerns , and addressing it is critical to ensuring the long-term safety and quality of our drinking water. The requested funding will help offset the costs of designing a new PFAS removal facility at the Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant, getting OWASA one step closer to sustainably reducing PFAS levels in Chapel Hill and Carrboro ' s drinking water . The long- term benefits of this project will protect public health and provide reliable , safe drinking water for current and future generations . Without federal support, OWASA faces the difficult reality of raising water rates significantly to cover the costs of the project . These rate increases would disproportionately affect low- income residents who are already struggling with economic hardships . Federal funding would help offset these necessary increases , ensuring that our community can continue to thrive without undue financial burden. www. orangecountync. goy Orange County, North Carolina (919) 245-2130 We greatly appreciate your consideration of this important request and would be grateful for any assistance you can provide in securing the necessary funding . Thank you for your attention to this critical issue and for your continued support of our community . Sincerely , Jamezetta Bedford, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners I E i I i i G I 1 1 www, oronaecountVnc. qo Orange County, North Carolina (919) 245-2130 JAMEZETTABEDFORD, CHAIR Orange County Board of Commissioners JEAN HAM/LTON, VICE-CHAIR MARILYN CARTER Post Office Box 8181 A ER SAALLY 300 West Tryon Street LLYGR GREENS - EARLMCKEE PHYLLIS PORT/EASCOTT Hillsborough , North Carolina 27278 r�ort4 Car °��`a April 1 , 2025 The Honorable Thom Tillis 113 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D . C . 20510 Dear Senator Tillis , On behalf of Orange County, I am writing to request your support in securing federal appropriations to fund a critical infrastructure project in our community . Specifically, Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) is seeking $ 1 . 778 million to help replace the singular, deteriorating clearwell located at the Jone Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant . The current 1 . 5 -million-gallon clearwell is a large, partially buried, cast- in-place concrete tank constructed in 1948 . Clearwells are vital for water treatment, storing treated water to ensure an uninterrupted supply for drinking, public health, fire protection, and the economy . Unfortunately , recent assessments of the clearwell infrastructure found it to be a vulnerable single point of failure in providing drinking water to the Chapel Hill and Carrboro community . Without a fully functioning clearwell , OWASA ' s ability to meet the community ' s demand for water is severely compromised, and if not addressed, could lead to service disruptions and potential public health concerns . The requested funding will allow OWASA to design the replacement of this aging, critical infrastructure with built- in redundancy , getting one step closer to assuring the continued delivery of clean, safe drinking water to our community . The project will also help mitigate the need for substantial water rate increases , which are necessary to fund this project, if federal assistance is not secured . By addressing this issue now, we can avoid more significant costs and potential risks in the future . We greatly appreciate your consideration of this critical request and would be grateful for any assistance you can provide to secure the necessary funding for our community . www. oranpecoun tync, qoy Orange County, North Carolina (919) 245-2130 Thank you for your continued support of our district and for your dedication to ensuring the well - being of our communities , Sincerely , Jamezetta Bedford, Chai Orange County Board of Commissioners i I i i I I i i I I www. oran gecoun t ync. goy Orange County, North Carolina (919) 245-2130 40 JAMEZE7T4 BEDFORD, CHAIR Orange County Board of Commissioners JEAN H~LV/CE-CHA/R post Office Box 8181 MARILYNN CARTER R I[ 5� A ER SAALLY 300 West Tryon Street LLYGR GREENS EARLMCKEE PHYLLIS PORTIEASCOTr Hillsborough , North Carolina 27278 April 1 , 2025 The Honorable Valerie P . Foushee 2452 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC , 20515 - 3304 Dear Congresswoman Foushee, On behalf of Orange County, I am writing to request your support in securing federal appropriations to fund a critical infrastructure project in our community . Specifically , Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) is seeking $ 1 . 778 million to help replace the singular, deteriorating clearwell located at the Jone Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant . The current 1 . 5 -million- gallon clearwell is a large , partially buried, cast- in-place concrete tank constructed in 1948 . Clearwells are vital for water treatment, storing treated water to ensure an uninterrupted supply for drinking, public health, fire protection, and the economy . Unfortunately , recent assessments of the clearwell infrastructure found it to be a vulnerable single point of failure in providing drinking water to the Chapel Hill and Carrboro community . Without a fully functioning clearwell , OWASA ' s ability to meet the community ' s demand for water is severely compromised, and if not addressed, could lead to service disruptions and potential public health concerns . The requested funding will allow OWASA to design the replacement of this aging, critical infrastructure with built- in redundancy, getting one step closer to assuring the continued delivery of clean, safe drinking water to our community . The project will also help mitigate the need for substantial water rate increases , which are necessary to fund this project, if federal assistance is not secured . By addressing this issue now, we can avoid more significant costs and potential risks in the future . We greatly appreciate your consideration of this critical request and would be grateful for any assistance you can provide to secure the necessary funding for our community . www, oranaecountync. aoy Orange County, North Carolina (919) 245-2130 Thank you for your continued support of our district and for your dedication to ensuring the well -being of our communities . Sincerely , Jamezetta Bedford, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners i� €EE €((3 E E i 2(t I I I F I 4 I iI i 7E I www, orangecountync. gov Orange County, North Carolina (919) 245-2130